Online gambling and crypto scam centre busted
Published on: Tuesday, January 30, 2024
By: Jonathan Nicholas
Sammy (second right) showing the seized electronics from one of the raids.
PENAMPANG: Police busted an online gambling and cryptocurrency scam centre operating independently in the same commercial building along Jalan Penampang Bypass, here, on Thursday (Jan 25).
District Police Chief Supt Sammy Newton said 11 individuals including six foreigners, comprising seven men and four women, were detained in the 2.10pm raid.
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“The calling centre was set up on the ninth floor of the building and has been operating for six months.
“A month’s worth of intelligence gathering managed to take down the syndicate believed to prey on victims outside the country.
“Based on the transactions, they are believed to have made RM2 million a month in foreign currency,” he told a press conference, Monday.
“We also seized paraphernalia, including 19 desktop computers, 27 monitors and 33 mobile phones, as well as three laptops,” he said.
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The case is being investigated under Section 4B(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
A day before, just one floor below, a police team nabbed 12 people - four men and eight women - all locals, in a 3pm raid.
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Sammy said they are believed to have acted as customer service agents, whose job was to convince their targets to invest in non-existent cryptocurrency.
“They targeted victims outside the country,” he said.
“We also seized 11 desktop computers, 19 mobile phones and two laptops, among other items,” he said, adding the case was being probed under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
In a separate case, police rounded up three suspected telephone cable thieves over the course of one week in Minitod, Kolopis and Pogunon, here.
A car chase involving police and a suspect’s Proton Saga along the Penampang-Tambunan road even went viral.
Sammy said the three were taken in following reports of corresponding cases since 2023.
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